Living Books for Science

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At Apologia, we are passionate about the principles of education by Charlotte Mason. Markedly, her emphasis on sharing living ideas with children and respecting their personhood as learners has greatly impacted the design and effort of our curriculum. Subsequently, in our Young Explorer’s Science series, each book is thoughtfully written with your children’s appetite in mind.

Self Education

What do you consider to be the primary goals in your children’s education? You may initially land on good grades. Maybe covering a wide variety of subjects sounds nice. Perhaps even earning a scholarship to a renowned university. However, what good would any of that be without developing a foundational love of learning? Providing a feast of living ideas to students and awakening their minds to the truth, beauty, and goodness of God’s creation can help stimulate the practice of self-education while they are still young.

The question is not, — how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education — but how much does he care? and about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? and, therefore, how full is the life he has before him?”
― Charlotte Mason

What are Living Books?

A forward thinker of her time, Miss Mason introduced the idea of using living books. Living books are typically authored by a single person who writes with a passion for their subject, which makes it easy to leave a lasting impression. Our science textbooks are all written by enthusiastic experts in a conversational style to draw students into exploring God’s creation.

Children must have books, living books; the best are not too good for them; anything less than the best is not good enough – Charlotte Mason

A living book is simply one that inspires living ideas, is driven by the power of the story, and engages the reader into wanting to learn more. Living books can easily be paired with a formal curriculum to enhance the flavor of the feast. In some cases, living books can also be the curriculum, but for science, we highly recommend pairing them with a thorough curriculum for the best experience.

Living Books + Science Curriculum

Where do you start? Well, you’re in the right place! We’ve created a living books list to pair with each of our Young Explorer Science series for elementary grades. While you can choose the order of when you do which science course, here is a suggested scope of sequence for your convenience.

Astronomy Science Curriculum and Living Books

Our elementary Astronomy science course explores the far reaches of the universe and points students to the God that created it. Written by author Jeannie Fulbright, your student’s curiosity about space will soar with this study!

If you want an enhanced experience with this course, we highly suggest the downloadable audio version read aloud by Jeannie Fulbright as well as our Activity Videos to supplement your study.

Here are some fantastic living books we found that would complement your astronomy study. Always check your local library first, as many of these titles are in public circulation.

Preschool Living Books for Astronomy

• Sun Up, Sun Down by Gail Gibbons
• What Makes Day and Night by Franklyn M. Branley
• What Makes a Shadow? by Clyde Bulla
• The Moon Seems to Change by Franklyn M. Branley
• The Sky is Full of Stars by Franklyn M. Branley

Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade Living Books for Astronomy

• Caroline’s Comets, A True Story by Emily Arnold McCully
• The Girl Who Named Pluto, the Story of Venetia Burney by Alice B. McGinty
• Always Looking Up, Nancy Grace Roman, Astronomer by Laura Geh
• Annie Jump Cannon, Astronomer by Carole Gerber
• Starry Messenger, Galileo Galilei by Peter Sis
• Sailing Home, A Story of a Childhood at Sea by Gloria Rand
• Mission to Mars by Franklyn M. Branley
• Listening to the Stars: Jocelyn Bell Burnell Discovers Pulsars by Jodie Parachini
• Find the Constellations by H.A. Rey
• One Giant Leap: The Story of Neil Armstrong by Don Brown
• Look to the Stars by Buzz Aldrin
• The Planets in Our Solar System by Franklyn M. Branley

4th Through 6th Grade Living Books for Astronomy

• Pluto’s Secret by Margaret A. Weitekamp with David DeVorkin
• Eclipse by Franklyn M. Branley
• The Universe by Herbert S. Zim
• Galileo’s Treasure Box by Catherine Brighton
• The Boy Who Dreamed of Rockets by Robert M. Quackenbush
• Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh

7th Through 9th Grade Living Books for Astronomy

• The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H.A. Rey
• The Great Astronomers by Robert S. Ball
• Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel
• A More Perfect Heaven by Dava Sobel

Botany Science Curriculum and Living Books

Throughout Exploring Creation with Botany, your student will navigate lessons and activities that unravel the mysteries of the plant world, from the life cycle of seeds to the intricate processes of plant reproduction and food production. Additionally, they will gain proficiency in identifying and classifying various plants.

Preschool Living Books for Botany

• The Hike by Alison Farrell
• The Golden Glow by Benjamin Flouw
• Planting a Wild Garden by Kathryn Osebold Galbraith
• Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
• How a Seed Grows by Helene J. Jordan
• A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston
• A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis
• Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
• Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade Living Books for Botany

• Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life by Molly Bang
• Weeds Find a Way by Cynthia Jenson-Elliott
• A Man for All Seasons: the Life of George Washington Carver by Stephen Krensky
• Planting Peace: the Story of Wangari Maathai by Gwendolyn Hooks
• Beatrix Potter, Scientist by Lindsay H. Metcalf
• The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman

4th Through 6th Grade Living Books for Botany

• Poisons in Our Path: Plants That Harm and Heal by Anne Ophelia Dowden
• The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock
• A Man for All Seasons: The Life of George Washington Carver by Stephen Krensky
• Flower Watching with Alice Eastwood by Michael Elsohn Ross
• The Storybook of Science by Jean Henri Fabre
• Watercolor in Nature: Paint Woodland Wildlife and Botanicals with 20 Beginner-Friendly Projects by Rosalie Haizlett

7th Through 9th Grade Living Books for Botany

• The Secret Life of the Flowers by Anne Ophelia Dowden
• Luther Burbank: Plant Magician by John Beaty
• Wicked Plants by Briony Morrow-Cribbs
• The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

Flying Creatures Science Curriculum and Living Books

In Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures, 2nd Edition, students will soar to new heights as they learn about the dynamics of flight and the uniqueness of birds, the value and misconceptions of bats, and the anatomy of insects (they’ll even get to collect and study some for a project!). After students complete this zoology study, they will never view or interact with nature in the same way again.

Here are some amazing living books about flying creatures that would pair well with any study on birds and insects. Many of these are popular enough to be found at your local library!

Preschool Living Books for Flying Creatures

• A Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle
• One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey
• Bird Build a Nest by Martin Jenkins
• A Way with Wild Things by Larissa Theule
• A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston
• Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
• A Pair of Wings by Marilyn Singer

Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade Living Books for Flying Creatures

• The Bug Girl: A True Story by Sophia Spencer
• No Fair Science Fair by Nancy Poydar
• Tiger with Wings: The Great Horned Owl by Barbara Juster Esbensen
• The Journey: Stories of Migration by Cynthia Rylant
• Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
• The Burgess Bird Book for Chlidren by Thornton Burgess
• Bird Anatomy by Julia Rothman

4th Through 6th Grade Living Books for

• Honeybee: the Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming
• Pterosaurs: Rulers of the Skies in the Dinosaur Age by Caroline Arnold
• The Secrets of Animal Flight by Nic Bishop
• Look Up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard by Annette Cate
• Ruby Throat: The Story of a Hummingbird by Robert M. McClung
• Otus: The Story of a Screech Owl and Honker: The Story of a Wild Goose by Robert M. McClung
• Bird Watching with Margaret Morse Nice by Michael Elsohn Ross
• Insect Adventures by Jean Henri Fabre

7th Through 9th Grade Living Books for

• The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling by John Muir Laws
• The Life of the Fly and The Life of the Caterpillar by Jean Henri Fabre
• The Insect Man by Eleanor Doorly

Swimming Creatures Science Curriculum and Living Books

Our Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures curriculum is part of the award-winning Young Explorer Series. God filled Earth’s waters with amazing marine creatures of all sizes. In this course, your student will explore the unique characteristics of swimming creatures of all sizes and better understand the environments they live in.

Preschool Living Books for Swimming Creatures

• A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
• Kermit the Hermit by Bill Peet
• Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan
• Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! by April Pulley Sayre
• Yoshi and the Ocean: A Sea Turtle’s Incredible Journey Home by Lindsay Moore
• Here Come the Dolphins and Here Come the Whales by Alice Goudey

Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade Living Books for Swimming Creatures

• The Girl Who Built an Ocean: an Artist, an Argonaut, and the True Story of the World’s First Aquarium by Jess Keating
• Shark Lady: the True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating
• Otis & Will Discover the Deep: the Record-Setting Dive of the Bathyspere by Barb Rosenstock
• The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs: the Story of Ken Nedimyer and the Coral Restoration Foundation by Kate Messner
• Joan Proctor, Dragon Doctor by Patricia Valdez
• Tiger with Wings: the Great Horned Owl by Barbara Juster Esbensen
• Along the Seashore by Margaret Waring Buck
• The Burgess Seashore Book for Children by Thornton Burgess

4th Through 6th Grade Living Books for Swimming Creatures

• Ice Whale by Jean Craighead George
• Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas by Lynne Cox
• A City Under the Sea: Life in the Coral Reef by Norbert Wu
• Leaper: The Story of an Atlantic Salmon by Robert M. McClung
• Pagoo by Holling C. Holling
• Fish Watching with Eugenie Clark by Michael Elsohn Ross
• A City Under the Sea: Life in the Coral Reef  by Norbert Wu
• Wonders of the Ocean Realm: 5 Under-the-Sea Tales of Faith and Science for Kids by Tricia Goyer and Sheri Seligson

7th Through 9th Grade Living Books for Swimming Creature

• Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
• A Whale for the Killing by Farley Mowat

Land Animals Science Curriculum and Living Books

There are 13 lessons in this one-year Zoology 3 course. Detailed lesson plans, as well as a suggested daily schedule, are included in the notebooking journal. This will set you and your student up for success as they work through the course while also providing flexibility to meet your student’s and your family’s needs.

Preschool Living Books for Land Animals

• Song of the Wild: A First Book of Animals by Nicola Davies
• A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston
• Jabuti the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon by Gerald McDermott
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
• Song of the Wild: A First Book of Animals by Nicola Davies
• Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade Living Books for Land Animals

• Among the Farmyard People by Clara Dillingham Pierson
• The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
• James Herriot’s Treasury for Children by James Herriot
• Dinosaur Mountain: Digging into the Jurassic Age by Deborah Kogan Ray
• Among the Meadow People and Among the Forest People by Clara Dillingham Pierson
• After the Sun Goes Down: The Story of Animals at Night by Glenn Blough

4th Through 6th Grade Living Books for Land Animals

• Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 5
• Paddle to the Sea by Holling Clancy Holling
• John Muir: Naturalist, Writer, and Guardian of the North American Wilderness by Sally Tolan
• Major: The Story of a Black Bear, Spike: The Story of a Whitetail Deer by Robert M. McClung
• The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter
• Rascal by Sterling North

7th Through 9th Grade Living Books for Land Animals

• The Way Life Works: The Science Lover’s Illustrated Guide to How Life Grows, Develops, Reproduces, and Gets Along by Mahlon Hoagland
• All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
• My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Malcolm Durrell
• Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton
• Men, Microscopes and Living Things by Katherine Shippen

Earth Science Curriculum and Living Books

Your young explorer will begin by learning about the universe, the Earth, and what makes Earth special and capable of sustaining life. Their awareness of the world and its Creator will expand as they learn about the land, locations, atmospheres, and climates of our planet.

I am so excited to personally use Exploring Creation with Earth Science with my soon-to-be 4th grader this school year!

Preschool Living Books for Earth Science

• Somewhere in the World Right Now by Stacey Schuett
• Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
• A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis
• Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer
• Sounds All Around by Wendy Pfeffer
• Rock is Lively by Dianna Aston

Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade Living Books for Earth Science

• Drop: An Adventure Through the Water Cycle by Emily Kate Moon
• Home on the Earth: A Song About Earth’s Layers by Laura Purdie Salas
• The Mess That We Made by Michelle Lord
• Rumble and Roar: Sound Around the World by Sue Fliess
• Follow the Water From Brook to Ocean by Arthur Dorros
• Our Planet! There’s No Place Like Earth by Stacy McAnulty
• Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
• The Man Who Named the Clouds by Julie Hanna
• How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World by Faith McNulty

4th Through 6th Grade Living Books for Earth Science

• The Snowflake Man: A Biography of Wilson A. Bentley by Duncan C. Blanchard
• Blizzart! The Storm That Changed America by Jim Murphy

7th Through 9th Grade Living Books for Earth Science

• All About Our Changing Rocks by Anne Terry White
• Giants of Geology by Carroll Lane Fenton
• The Weather Detective by Peter Wohlleben

This curriculum also has Activity Videos available as an add-on to help lighten your load and bring earth science to life!

Anatomy and Physiology Science Curriculum and Living Books

Our Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology science curriculum is part of Apologia’s award-winning Young Explorer Series and a curriculum specifically designed for elementary students in grades K-6. God made the human body wonderfully. In this course, your student will explore the intricate and amazing design of the human body–from head to toe.

Preschool Living Books for Anatomy and Physiology

• I’m Growing by Aliki
• The Ears by Beth Ferguson
• I Know Why I Brush My Teeth by Kate Rowan

Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade Living Books for Anatomy and Physiology

• Eye: How it Works by David Macaulay
• A Drop of Blood by Paul Showers
• What’s Inside of Me? by Herbert Zim
• Louis Pasteur: Enemy of Disease by Carol Greene
• Louis Pasteur by Maria Isabel Sanchez

4th Through 6th Grade Living Books for Anatomy and Physiology

• The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body by David Macaulay
• Wonders of the Human Body by Anthony Ravielli
• Christian Liberty Nature Reader, Book 5 by Worthington Hooker
• Heart and Soul: The Story of Florence Nightingale by Gena K. Gorrell
• Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story by Cecil Murphey and Ben Carson

7th Through 9th Grade Living Books for Anatomy and Physiology

• Men of Medicine by Katharine Shippen
• Exploring the History of Medicine by John Hudson Tiner
• Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Philip Yancey
• Louis Pasteur: Enemy of Disease by Carol Greene

Chemistry and Physics Science Curriculum and Living Books

Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics course is written in a conversational tone, and takes complex and abstract concepts and makes them approachable for curious young minds. As your student engages with the lessons, projects, and experiments, they will better understand the fascinating world of chemistry and physics, and the Master Designer who created it all.

Throughout this course, they’ll study and explore the basic building blocks of creation, atoms and molecules, simple chemicals, the laws of motion, energy in its many forms, as well as concepts of electricity and magnetism. Your student will get to put their learning to work as they have fun making a bouncy ball, developing a smoke bomb, building a solar oven, constructing a working periscope, fashioning a miniature motor, and creating a lava lamp!

Preschool Living Books for Chemistry and Physics

• What’s Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew? by Robert E. Wells
• How Do You Lift a Lion? by Robert E. Wells
• Sun Up, Sun Down by Gail Gibbons

Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade Living Books for Chemistry and Physics

• What is the World Made of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
• Air is All Around You by Franklyn M. Branley
• Matter All Around You: Solids, Liquids & Gases by R.J. Lefkowitz
• Who Was Marie Curie? by Megan Stine
• Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
• Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World by Elizabeth Rusch

4th Through 6th Grade Living Books for Chemistry and Physics

• Marie Curie by Leonard Everett Fisher
• Robert Boyle: Trailblazer of Science by John Tiner
• The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin D. Wiker
• Elements of Faith by Richard Duncan
• The Wonder Book of Chemistry by Jean Henri Fabre
• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

7th Through 9th Grade Living Books for Chemistry and Physics

• The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean
• The Periodic Kingdom: Journey into the Land of Chemical Elements by P.W. Atkins
• Crucibles: The Story of Chemistry by Bernard Jaffe
• Napoleon’s Buttons by Penny Le Couteur

Discover a Christ-centered, award-winning K-12 homeschool science curriculum designed to inspire a lifelong love of learning and a deep understanding of God’s creation. Our mission is to publish curriculum and resources that help homeschooling students and families learn, live, and defend the Christian faith.